San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-09-06
CHAPTER v.

In the hall it Glanced that stood few
minutes while the servant crossed to the
dining-roOm to fetch some book Mr. Gas
cOigne wanted, and / could not but hear
that Lady Martin Pomeroy ceased singing
and said quickly and sharply
How absurd to lend maid to a compan-
ion, Annis! What put such a fancy into
your head? l perceive Miss ThOrne will
want keeping in nor placep
Miss Thorne is as much a lady as any Of
u.s." Annis replied. 81 must do something
to atone for your rudeness, Gwendoline. l
wonder she stands it at all"
II hope she will not for long" said Gwen
doline. Il should be glad If she left and
think she is too proud to complain to uncle
Richard. Why do you not forbid your maid
being lent about like this, Hildap haveno
doubt Lucy explains all our private affairs
to this girl; know she has mentioned Uric
GascOigne to her. Servants always chatter
when they are allowed"
II am perfectly Indifferent to Lucy's
chatter while she continues to attend to me
properly" said Hilda calmly. she knows
nothing of me that Miss Thorne or any one
else may not know. l should be sorry to
share my secrets with such persons"
l stepped along the hall could bear it
no lOnger-and, with burning face and
clenched hands, fastened to Mr.. Gascoigne's
room. As Lady Martin PomerOy had been
kind enough to say, | was too proud to speak
to Mr. Gascoigne; hid my agitation as well
as could, and he did not appear to notice it.
He asked me to sing to him, and sang
old ballads and Scotch songs, and played a
fragment or two of Beethoven's, until din
ner-time Immediately after the meal the
chess-table was pulled up, and for two hours
we played persistently, the old man, as be-
fore, throwing into the game all the inter
est and animation he displayed for nothing
else.
He spoke on no other subject until was
leaving him, when he gave Inc sudden
critical glance.
well, did you see my nieces to-day"
Yes" answered. II had tea with them"
And did you find them pleasant-polite
-agreeable?'
paused; but resolved never to acknowl-
edge that | felt their discourtesy.
Miss Annis Farquhar," said, was more
than pleasant. She has been exceedingly
kind to me since | came"
Has she? That is right. And the others
my Lady Martin and Hilda?"
with the others, Mr.. Gascoigne, | have
not succeeded so we'll"
You did not look as though you had" he
said quietly, with smile. Never mind,
my, dear, never mind! Don't heed their
nOnsenseW And he chuckled as he finger
ed one of the ivory pieces on the table.
Wen say Check to them by-and-by."
For a week my days at st. Gabriel's
Grange passed like this. Sometimes had
breakfast and luncheon by myself, some
times with Lady Martin POmerOy and her
sisters. AT tea | always met them, and al
ways encountered the same annoyance from
Lady Martin the same disdanful indiffer-
ence from Hilda. Twenty times a day
vowed not to stop another week beneath the
roof that sheltered these two women, who
seemed to try with all their might to arouse
my anger, and bring me to retOrt In such
words as could be repeated to Mr.. GascOgne,
or as would drive me from the house.
Bnt Mr.. GascOigne, eccentric and dcta-
tOrial as he was, was ever courteous to me-
and, though he would often ask, as on that
second night, whether had seen his nieces,
and how got on with them, l never said
more in answer than on the first occasion.
When they were not going to visit friends,
they came up to dine with their uncle, bring
ing their fashionable gowns and their fair
faces into the antique rooms, and rustling
their silk trains against the armOr of their
ancestors. Then Lady Martin curbed her
sarcastic tongue, and HiIda Farquhar court
ed the old man with smiles on her beautiful
lips and softer CLEANS from her blue eyes. |
saw that she could be fascinating when she
pleased, and when II was part of her scheme.
Gwendoline made no pretence of gracious
ness. She merely spoke little and sat quiet
ly, with the curve of discomfort and scOrn
still on her lips, and said not word to me.
After dinner she would sing to the old-fash-
Toned piano her modern passionate love
songs. think Mr.. GascOigne liked to hear
her, but he rarely betrayed as much. Hilda's
classical playing he candidly declared he
did not care to hear; for Annis, who pos
sessed only a small mezzO-sOprano voice,
but who sang simple ballads that were suited
to ii, he had sometimes word of praise
But, after GwendOline's thrilling notes
had rung through the room, he would tell
me to sing one of his favorites, and went,
inwardly very tremulOus, TO the instrument,
wondering how my low quivering notes
would sound after the brilliant soprano.
That is good. You have a fine rich voice,
Miss Thorne," Mr.. GascOigne said one night
it was the first time he had Outwardly eX-
pressed any pleasure at my performances,
and / thought at the time it was done In his
crOtchety fashion to annoy his nieces. "She
sings well-eh. Hlldap'